Various vehicles may have one or more outwardly protruding mechanical parts, such as side view mirrors, rigidly connected to mounting surfaces of the vehicle. Such parts may pose collision risks that could result in damage to the mechanical part itself or an object striking it. For instance, in the example of a side view mirror rigidly connected to a vehicle, in the event of a collision, the rigidity of the connection may greatly increase the force of impact on the mirror as well as a person or an object hitting it.
Safety devices, such as shear pins, may be designed such that the device fractures when an applied force exceeds a predetermined force. The fracturing, in turn, breaks the connection between two or more mechanical parts. Mechanical parts connected together by a detent hinge, for example, are designed to resist rotation about the hinge and remain in a stationary position until an applied torque to one of the mechanical parts exceeds a predetermined torque. When this happens, the parts rotate relative to each other.